LUCKNOW: UNESCO on Friday declared Lucknow a 'Creative City of Gastronomy' at the 43rd session of its General Conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, officials said. The designation places Lucknow among 70 gastronomy cities worldwide and makes it the second Indian city to win the title after Hyderabad. This honour comes at a time when Lucknow is celebrating 250 years as the capital city of Awadh.
UNESCO in a statement, said that to celebrate World Cities Day 2025, it has added 58 new cities to its Creative Cities Network. With these additions, the network now includes 408 cities from more than 100 countries. Among the newly designated cities in the “Cities of Gastronomy” category are Lucknow (India), Zaragoza (Spain), Songkhla (Thailand), San Javier de Loncomilla (Chile), Quanzhou (China), Matosinhos (Portugal), Kelowna (Canada), Cuenca (Ecuador), and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah (Saudi Arabia).
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh welcomed the move, saying that the global recognition reflected how tourism was contributing to the vision of Viksit Uttar Pradesh.
“Under PM Narendra Modi’s vision and CM Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, UP has become a source of national pride. Culinary tourism has long attracted visitors to the state and the tag will help the state build the sector further," he added.
Principal secretary, tourism, Amrit Abhijat, said this title would further enhance Lucknow’s global appeal. “Every plate served in Lucknow tells a story — of royal kitchens, street vendors, and cultural unity. The Creative City status will strengthen global outreach, boost food-based entrepreneurship, and encourage sustainable tourism,” he said.
Abhijat noted that 8.274 million tourists visited Lucknow in 2024, while in just the first six months of 2025, 7.02 million visitors had already arrived — clear evidence that food and culture had become key drivers of tourism growth in Uttar Pradesh.
Lucknow is known for its aromatic gravies and melt-in-your-mouth galouti kebab, Awadhi biryani, tokri chaat, puri-kachori, and desserts like malai gilori and makhan malai.
The detailed nomination process, steered by the Directorate of Tourism under former principal secretary, tourism, Mukesh Meshram, involved the submission of a dossier to the Union culture ministry.
